Coaxial fluid connector

Abstract

A fluid connector for removably joining two lines includes a male element and a complementary female element, which each include a body defining an inner passage and an outer passage, a male drawer, which is axially movable inside the outer passage between an uncoupled position of the connector, where it tightly closes off a distal mouth of the outer passage, and a coupled position, where it does not oppose the passage of fluid in the mouth and wherein the male or female body delimits a connecting passage between the outer passage of the female element and the outer passage of the male element during the coupling of the elements and which connecting passage extends between at least one distal opening and at least one proximal opening, which each emerge in one or the other of the outer passages.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A fluid connector for removably joining two lines, comprising a male element that includes:
 a male body, comprising two coaxial parts defining an inner passage and an outer passage, and 
 a male drawer, which is axially movable inside the outer passage between an uncoupled position of the fluid connector, where it tightly closes off a distal mouth of the outer passage, and a coupled position, where it does not oppose the passage of fluid in the distal mouth, 
 
       and a complementary female element that includes:
 a female body, comprising two coaxial parts defining an inner passage and an outer passage, and 
 a female drawer, which is axially movable inside the outer passage between an uncoupled position of the fluid connector, where it tightly closes off a distal mouth of the outer passage, and a coupled position, where it does not oppose the passage of the fluid in the distal mouth, the male drawer and the female drawer respectively being pushed by the female body and by the male body during coupling, 
 
       wherein:
 the male body delimits a connecting passage between the outer passage of the female element and the outer passage of the male element during the coupling of the male and female elements, the connecting passage extending between at least one distal opening and at least one proximal opening, which are delimited in an inner coaxial part of the male body and which each emerge in the outer passage of the male element, 
 the male drawer includes, on an inner surface, an inner sealing gasket that bears against the outer surface of the inner coaxial part of the male body in the coupled position and in the uncoupled position, 
 in the uncoupled position, the inner sealing gasket bears on the male body in front of each distal opening, and 
 in the coupled position the inner sealing gasket bears on the male body behind each distal opening, 
 
       or wherein:
 the female body delimits a connecting passage between the outer passage of the female element and the outer passage of the male element during the coupling of the elements, the connecting passage extending between at least one distal opening and at least one proximal opening, which are delimited in an outer coaxial part of the female body and which each emerge in the outer passage of the female element, 
 the female drawer includes, on an outer surface, an outer sealing gasket that bears against an inner surface of the outer coaxial part of the female body in the coupled and uncoupled positions, 
 in the uncoupled position, the outer sealing gasket bears on the female body in front of each distal opening, and 
 in the coupled position, the outer sealing gasket bears on the female body behind each distal opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein, during coupling and uncoupling:
 the inner sealing gasket of the inner surface of the male drawer is in tight contact with the outer surface of the inner coaxial part of the male body, or 
 the outer sealing gasket of the outer surface of the female drawer is in tight contact with the inner surface of the outer coaxial part of the female body. 
 
     
     
       3. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer coaxial part of the female body has a distal part equipped, on its inner face, with a sealing gasket that is in contact with the male body in the coupled position, between the proximal and distal openings. 
     
     
       4. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the coupled position, the male drawer and the female body form, at their front faces, a radial fluid passage between the outer passage of the male element and the connecting passage. 
     
     
       5. The fluid connector according to  claim 4 , wherein the front face of the male drawer includes contact lugs configured to contact with the front face of the female body and wherein the radial fluid passage extends peripherally between the contact lugs. 
     
     
       6. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the coupled position, the inner sealing gasket of the male drawer bears on the male body behind each distal opening and in front of each proximal opening, and wherein the outer passage of the male element extends inside the male drawer toward the connecting passage. 
     
     
       7. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner coaxial part of the female body is provided with at least one distal radial opening able to place the inner passage of the male element in communication with the inner passage of the female element in the coupled position. 
     
     
       8. The fluid connector according to  claim 7 , wherein the inner coaxial part of the female body is provided with at least one proximal radial opening relative to the distal radial opening, able to put the inner and outer passages of the female element in communication in the uncoupled position. 
     
     
       9. The fluid connector according to  claim 8 , wherein, during coupling, the female drawer closes off the or each proximal radial opening of the inner coaxial part of the female body and frees the or each distal radial opening of the inner coaxial part of the female body. 
     
     
       10. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner coaxial part of the female body is provided with at least one opening, able to place the inner and outer passages of the female element in communication in the uncoupled position and place the inner passages of the male and female elements in communication in the coupled position. 
     
     
       11. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the male element further comprises a central valve movable in the inner passage of the male element and having a valve body, 
 the valve body is in tight contact with the male body in the uncoupled position, and 
 the tight contact between the valve body and the male body being broken upon coupling. 
 
     
     
       12. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the male element is equipped with a bleed member, which is elastically kept in tight contact against a distal mouth of the inner passage and which is accessible from an outside environment to free the inner passage to the outside. 
     
     
       13. The fluid connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner coaxial part of the male body defines at least one proximal depressurization passage able to put the inner and outer passages of the male element in communication in the uncoupled position of the fluid connector. 
     
     
       14. The fluid connector according to  claim 13 , wherein the proximal depressurization passage emerges in the connecting passage defined by the male body. 
     
     
       15. The fluid connector according to  claim 13 , wherein the male element further comprises a central valve movable in the inner passage of the male element and wherein the central valve closes off the proximal depressurization passage in the coupled position of the fluid connector. 
     
     
       16. The fluid connector according to  claim 4 , wherein the front face of the female body includes contact lugs configured to contact with the front face of the male drawer and wherein the radial fluid passage extends peripherally between the contact lugs.